


Can't Keep a Good Man Down

by asofthesea



Series: whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark, Swearing, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 05:24:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20868896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asofthesea/pseuds/asofthesea
Summary: It was supposed to just be another boring charity event.Nothing bad was supposed to happen.There was an explosion, and he can't see Peter.Prompt: Explosion





	Can't Keep a Good Man Down

**Author's Note:**

> day 2 here we goooo!

The ringing in his ears disorients him as he tries to work out exactly what happened and where he was.

Tony looks to his left and sees people screaming, running around. Some are pointing to something to his right. He turns his head to the right to see the wall in pieces. Then, it all clicks in place.

There must have been a bomb of some sort in the wall that caused the explosion. His best guess is whoever did this wanted to bring the whole building down, which means there are probably more explosives in the other walls. This place needs to be evacuated, like yesterday.

He helps a woman up and ushers her towards the exit. His heart clenches in his chest as the events start to come back to him.

Pepper had made him come to the stupid gala. It was a charity gala for a company that had some negotiations going on with Stark Industries. He had to go so that they would agree to the deal. He had always hated that part of business, or rather, all of it. Pepper had told him that he could bring Peter with him to make the whole thing more tolerable.

Peter.

His brain short circuits as he tried to remember where the kid was. Peter wasn’t anywhere near him, which was odd, he had stuck to his side all night. Then he remembers that Peter had said he had to go to the bathroom. He looks over in horror at the bathroom right next to where the explosion came from. He doesn’t even have to think about it while he sprints through the crowd towards the bathrooms.

When he arrives what feels like ten minutes later, but was probably thirty seconds, he throws open the door. He scrambles into the bathroom.

“Peter?” as he says it, he realizes that he doesn’t think he’s ever sounded this desperate in his life. Although, he doesn’t think he’s ever been this desperate in his life.

“In here,” he hears from inside one of the stalls and almost collapses from relief.

Tony tries to open it, but he finds that it’s locked. He warns the kid to stay back before he activates his wrist gauntlet and blasts the lock open.

When he steps into the stall, he wants to puke at what he sees.

Peter is on the ground with his back against the wall. His eyes are glassy and he seems to be bleeding from his head. He is holding his right arm and it appears to be broken. All of that pales in comparison to his leg.

His left leg is bleeding, a lot. Tony can’t spot what is causing the bleeding through all the blood. Whatever it is, it seems it deems the kid immobile. Shit.

“What happened?” Tony asks as he kneels down beside Peter. He looks so much worse up close.

Peter takes a shaky breath before he starts, “Well, when whatever happened, happened, I was thrown into the wall. I hit my head pretty hard and I think I broke my arm. A pipe came loose and lodged itself in my leg. I know I shouldn’t have, but in my moment of panic, I took it out of my leg.” By the end of his spiel, he is crying unlike Tony has ever seen him cry before.

As soon as he realizes that Peter can not continue to lose this much blood he takes his belt off.

“This is gonna hurt,” he says as a quick apology before he gently wraps the belt around his leg above his injury. Peter gasps when Tony has to lift his leg to get the belt all the way around his leg.

“You are gonna want to hang onto something for this,” Tony warns.

Peter nods through the tears and grabs onto the handicap bar above him. 

“On the count of three,” Tony promises. Peter grits his teeth and nods again.

“One, two, three,” he says as he yanks the belt tight.

Peter screams as he continues to latch the belt closed. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he apologizes.

Peter stops screaming and becomes silent with a steady flow of tears running down both sides of his face. Tony hates himself for causing Peter this pain, but he knows he had to do it to ensure that Peter didn’t die.

Tony takes one steadying breath before he says, “I know it hurts, but we need to get out of here. There could be more explosives, and we don’t want the building to come down on us.”

“The building’s going to come down?” Peter squeals. He is obviously in shock and only listening to part of what Tony is saying.

“I’m going to help you stand up so we can get out of here, okay?” Tony says loudly. He really needs to get through to Peter about this.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Peter barely breathes out.

Tony grips Peter under his armpits and lifts with his legs as he helps Peter to stand. It quickly becomes obvious that Peter can’t support himself.

“Here we go, kiddo,” Tony says as the only warning before he puts one arm around behind the kid’s knees and the other behind his back and lifts him into his arms.

Peter winces as Tony picks him up, but otherwise does a good job of not complaining. His head falls against Tony’s chest.

Tony begins walking out of the bathroom. As he steps back into the main room, he can see that people have mostly cleared out. There are a few people lying on the ground, but Tony can’t think of them. He just needs to get Peter out of here. Peter has to be his priority.

He is almost out the door when he feels something on his leg. He has to stop walk to keep himself from tripping with Peter in his arms.

“Help,” says the woman. It is obvious that like Peter, she can’t walk.

“I’ll come back for you,” Tony promises before shaking her hand free and walking out of the building with Peter.

As he walks through the doors, it takes a second to adjust to the bright lights outside. Someone, a nurse he thinks, walks over to him and tells him where to put Peter.

He follows the man’s instructions and lays Peter down on the gurney. A few other people come over and start shouting things he doesn’t understand. They whisk Peter away on an ambulance and Tony wants to go with them until he realizes that the woman is still in there.

Just as he turns around to go back and get her, the building comes down.

The last thing Peter remembered was Tony carrying him in his arms. He can tell he's lying on a bed, but he has no idea where he is.

He opens his eyes to look around and realizes he must be in a hospital. It's not the usual Medbay, but he recognizes some of the staff. Tony must have had them come here to help, especially since they knew about Peter's super healing and the regular doctors didn't.

May is sleeping on a chair a few feet away from him. He wonders how long he's been out. He doesn’t want to wake her up because knowing her, she needs the sleep. She probably has been worried sick about him since she found out, and he can’t help but feel guilty.

Peter moves to sit up but freezes. He tried to bend his knees, but his left leg won’t move. It won’t move.

His breathing picks up as he realizes he is going to have a panic attack. Just as May is waking up from the noise he is making, Tony walks in the door with Dr. Banner.

“Why can’t I move my leg?” Peter squeaks out.

All three adults are quick to move to his side. May is on one side, Tony and Dr. Banner on the other. May sits down on the edge of his bed on his left side and grabs his hand in both of hers.

Dr. Banner says, “Peter, you were losing a lot of blood from the wound in your leg, too much. Tony had to apply a tourniquet to your leg to stop you from losing more. In doing so he saved your life, but unfortunately, you have severe nerve damage in your leg.”

He removes his glasses and says, “Your left leg is paralyzed.”

“Forever?” He asks. It can’t be. Then he won’t be able to be Spider-Man. Hell, he won’t even be able to walk right.

“There is some therapy that can be done, but there isn’t a guarantee that you will ever have full control of your leg again,” Dr. Banner says.

Tony pipes in, “I could always build you a bionic leg, like Rhodey has. I got most of the kinks worked out, so I should be able to come up with something.” His voice comes of light-hearted, but Peter can see the pain in his eyes.

Peter purses his lips, “I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it. I’m still trying to process it.”

May gives his hand a reassuring squeeze, “I know this is hard, but we will be here to help you, no matter what you decide, baby.”

Usually, Peter would be embarrassed about being called baby, especially in front of Tony and Dr. Banner, but the term of endearment only brings him warmth. He smiles before he feels a few tears slip down his cheeks. It seems that once he started, he can’t stop.

Before he knows it, he is full-on sobbing. May has gathered him in her arms. He can feel Tony’s hand resting on his shoulder. Dr. Banner leaves the room, giving them some privacy, and Peter is glad he isn’t going to stick around and witness his breakdown.

He doesn’t know how much longer he cries for, but he eventually cries himself out. May lowers him back on his bed. He goes to sleep faster than he thought possible.

The next time Peter wakes up, May is gone and Tony is sitting in the chair beside his bed.

“Where’s May?” he asks.

“She’s just getting a shower and something to eat, she’ll be back soon. Do you need me to call her?” Tony offers.

Peter shakes his head. 

They sit in silence for a while before Tony says, “Kiddo, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry about what?” Peter asks, confused.

Tony takes a deep, shuddering breath before he says, “It is my fault that your leg is paralyzed. I know that this is like the worst thing to happen, and I’m so sorry.”

He looks deep into his mentor’s eyes. The man really does blame himself.

“It may be up there, but this isn’t the worst thing that’s happened to me. Plus, I’m pretty sure I heard Dr. Banner say that you saved my life.”

“I should have thought of something else,” Tony argues.

Peter shakes his head, “You did what you had to do. Losing control of my leg sucks. Like, it really sucks, Mr. Stark, but I would rather lose both of my legs than lose my life. It really sucks, but I’ll find a way to deal with it, okay?”

A small, sad smile breaks across Tony’s face, “I’m supposed to be the one reassuring you, kid.”

Peter shrugs, “You can make it up to me by letting me take your Iron Man suit for a spin.”

“No fucking way.”

**Author's Note:**

> i liked writing this a lot, wanted to make it longer, but i have a lot more to write yet, let me know what you think!


End file.
